Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jan 2014
Source: Black Hills Pioneer, The (SD)
Copyright: The Black Hills Pioneer, Newspapers 2014
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/4aQiA0OK
Website: http://www.bhpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3570
Author: Kaylee Tschette

RC MAN AMONG THOUSANDS TO BUY LEGAL POT

DENVER -- One Rapid City man who was in downtown Denver, Colo., the 
first day of legal marijuana sales referred to the day as a "calm 
riot" with very little conflict.

Daniel Elsasser, 24, was in Denver celebrating the New Year's holiday 
when the state law legalizing recreational weed took effect, 
resulting in lines more than a block long at some dispensaries.

"My friends and I waited in line at a dispensary for about four 
hours," Elsasser said. "We did it for the whole principal of buying 
legal marijuana -- going into a store, making a legal purchase, and 
coming out. And it totally being OK."

Elsasser said waiting to legally purchase retail marijuana was worth 
it, indicating that procuring marijuana illegally from a private 
dealer could be an option for some.

"There's nothing shady about it buying from dispensaries. It 
eliminates the need for a drug dealer. It's like a liquor store now. 
You know what you're going to get and that there's restrictions and 
regulations on it," he said. "There were no conflicts that I saw. I 
think it's because it's super regulated. You can't drive. You can't 
be younger than 21. Some people would try to buy on expired ID's but 
(dispensaries) had to turn them away. You also can't take it out of 
the state, and can only buy small quantities."

Starting on what some dubbed "Green Wednesday," Colorado residents 
can now legally, under state law, purchase up to an ounce of 
marijuana, while out-of-state visitors can buy one-fourth of an ounce 
at a time. It's illegal to use marijuana in public, consume marijuana 
in a motor vehicle, or drive under the influence of marijuana, but it 
may be transported in a car as long as it's in a closed container. 
Federal law still prohibits the use.

"Everyone we met was so amazing and from such different walks of 
life," Elsasser said. "The woman in front of us was a 55-year-old who 
works for the Environmental Protection Agency and lives in Boulder 
with her husband, who is a designer or an architect. They're both 
very professional. They said they wouldn't have to keep asking their 
19-year-old daughter (for marijuana)."

Some question the morality of legalizing pot, but not Elsasser.

"I support the legalization of marijuana because it's less of a 
hazard for adults to partake in than alcohol. I think alcohol should 
be more regulated than marijuana," he said. "Marijuana brings about a 
sense of fellowship, relaxation, and harmony, more than alcohol. 
Alcohol causes more violence and brings out stupid decisions."

Retail weed in Colorado will have a 25 percent state tax, as well as 
Colorado's regular state sales tax of 2.9 percent. It's estimated 
that additional revenue from marijuana sales will exceed $67 million per year.

"Legalization puts tax money into the state," Elsasser said. "Some of 
the taxes on marijuana will go toward building schools. So it's super 
beneficial."

The dispensaries were professional, but the atmosphere wasn't 
staunch, Elsasser said.

"We thought this was going to be like a line at the DMV -- really 
systematic -- but it wasn't," he said of the LoDo Wellness Center off 
of 16th Street in Denver. "There was an officer that went into the 
store, we think he was a fire marshal or something. He joked, 'I wish 
I wasn't wearing this badge today, then I'd be in line with all of 
you.' Cops were walking around totally cool with it."

According to the official website of the state of Colorado, schools, 
universities, and employers are allowed to put in place their own 
disciplinary actions for marijuana-related infractions. There is also 
a requirement that marijuana dispensaries be at least 1,000 feet from 
schools. But laws can vary throughout municipalities, so government 
officials encourage those seeking information to review each city's laws.

Elsasser maintains that the marijuana movement isn't going to slow 
anytime soon.

"It was history in the making. To be there and be part of it with 
everyone was just amazing," he said. "It's a movement that's taking 
over. It's not going to back down because too many people are backing 
it. To be part of this peaceful revolution was just intense. There 
were no conflicts. It was a very 'calm riot,' so to speak."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom